


This Is Real

by An_Odd_Idea



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Illusions, Irondad, Nightmares, PTSD, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Tony Stark, aftermath of kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:20:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23975905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/An_Odd_Idea/pseuds/An_Odd_Idea
Summary: Peter struggles with nightmares after being kidnapped and subjected to illusions by Quentin Beck.  Tony reassures him he’s safe, for real.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 30
Kudos: 180





	This Is Real

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Too Pure for Your Own Good](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22228489) by [An_Odd_Idea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/An_Odd_Idea/pseuds/An_Odd_Idea). 



> This is a much-requested followup to my story Too Pure for Your Own Good. If you haven’t read that, this should still make sense, though.
> 
> Please do not copy, print, or otherwise reproduce outside this site, I don’t want to get sued.

  
“Nice job, kid.” Tony ruffled Peter’s hair.

Peter wrinkled his nose, pretending to be annoyed, but he leaned slightly into the touch anyway.

“You know, you’re getting much better at that,” said Tony.

“Better at what?”

“Pretending.”

“Wha-“

Tony snatched him by the front of his shirt, slamming him against the wall. Peter gasped, finding the man’s mocking face inches from his own.

“Pretending it’s him.”

It was like the floor had given way under him. Peter’s heart fell to his toes.

“Because you’re mine.” Tony’s face morphed, his voice changed, and it was Beck growling in Peter’s ear. “You’ll always be mine.”

There was nowhere to go. Peter couldn’t even move. Beck had him. He felt like crying, or screaming, but he couldn’t make a sound. He was too weighed down by despair, and he was breaking. Everything was breaking.

Peter’s eyes snapped open to darkness.

Immediately, his heart began to race, fast, too fast. Something terrible would happen if it didn’t slow down soon, but he couldn’t slow it down. Everything was still breaking.

He was lying down. He was in bed, apparently, and maybe... maybe it had been a dream. Maybe not. His wildly pounding heart was too much of a distraction to come to any conclusion.

“Pete?”

There was Tony’s voice again. Peter prayed it was really him, but he couldn’t answer, still trying and failing to slow his heart or take a decent breath.

“Lights at ten percent. Peter?”

The room brightened just a bit, and Peter could now see the face of his mentor leaning over him. He hoped, anyway. He still felt frozen.

“I’m just going to sit right here if that’s okay.” Tony moved slowly to sit on the edge of the bed. “Hold my hand?”

He always said that. Peter relaxed slightly with that assurance, but his heart still hadn’t stopped racing. He stretched out his fingers, and Tony covered them in his own.

“FRIDAY told me you got a little freaked out. Bad dreams?”

Peter nodded, just slightly. He could still see the Tony in his nightmare transforming, and he felt paralyzed, almost like he was still pinned with his back to the wall and no way out. 

Tony- the real Tony, Peter tried to remind himself- rubbed his thumb lightly over his hand. “How are you doing?”

“Six.” He knew it was real, but it didn’t feel real enough.

“That’s really good.” Tony gave his hand a squeeze now. “Still want something only I’d know?”

Peter nodded.

“Does the pancake disaster of ‘17 do the trick?”

A small smile played around Peter’s lips. Happy had not been, well, happy.

“Good.” Tony smiled back at him. “You’re doing good, Pete.”

His hand was strong and reassuring, and Peter gripped it hard to chase the lingering shakiness away. It lingered anyway. He could still feel the crushing hopelessness that had settled into his bones when Beck had him against the wall, and it made him feel like falling apart.

“Mr. Stark?”

“Right here.”

Tony leaned closer to brush the hair out of Peter’s face with his free hand, and Peter sat up straight into his arms.

“Oh,” said Tony. “Hi there.” He straightened up again, bringing Peter with him and wrapping him up softly.

Peter clambered closer, feeling like he could never be close enough and hugging Tony like he might be ripped away if he didn’t hold on.

“Okay.” Tony tightened his arms around him. “You’re okay. This is real.”

Peter took what felt like his first deep breath in hours and buried his face into Tony’s shoulder, not caring about how it squished his nose. 

“You wanna tell me what happened?”

Not this one, Peter thought. There wasn’t much to tell, except for the awful sinking feeling and the dread that had followed the realization.

“I was really scared,” he said softly.

“I know,” said Tony. 

He was quiet after that, waiting to hear more. Peter was quiet, too. He just held on to Tony and breathed. He needed to hold on, so Beck couldn’t take him away again.

“Anything else?” Tony asked finally.

Peter shook his head. He was tired now, worn out from all the stress. Tony just hugged him a while longer, and he laid his head on his mentor’s shoulder. “Don’t let him get me again?”

Tony’s arms tightened further. “I won’t let him get you again. Not ever, Pete.”

“Okay.” It was something to hold on to.

Then came the dreaded question. “Do you think you could lie down again soon?”

Peter never wanted to let go of him again, but he said he guessed he could and reluctantly loosened his arms around Tony’s neck.

“Can you stay?” he asked before allowing himself to fully let go yet, even though he already knew what the answer would be.

“I can stay.” Tony gently pushed him back down and pulled the covers over him again.

“I don’t wanna go back to sleep.” It was a childish thing to say, and Peter instantly wished he hadn’t, no matter how true it was.

“I know.” Tony’s voice was still impossibly soft and soothing, like he didn’t even notice how foolish Peter sounded. “You don’t have to go to sleep now. Just rest a little bit.”

Peter took another deep breath. He had fallen for this before, and he knew Tony’s goal was to get him back to sleep, but it was nice not to think about it yet. Tony looked at him with some emotion Peter couldn’t name and softly brushed his hair back from his forehead. Peter caught hold of his hand and held it there, his eyes slipping closed of their own accord.

“Aww, kid.” Tony’s voice was fond and a little bit sad.

Peter hummed and released his hand, frowning when it started to move away. “Can you keep doing that?”

“Sure.”

Tony’s hand covered his forehead again, warm and comforting, and Peter felt the tension immediately leaving him. He heaved a deep sigh.

“Good?”

“S’nice,” said Peter. “Like you’re keeping all the bad things out.”

“You bet I am.” Tony pressed his forehead a little more firmly. “Nothing bad’s getting through me.”

Peter felt absolutely certain of that. The warmth of Tony’s hand only made him sleepier, and he drifted off, safe again. It felt real.

...

  
It had been a long time since Peter’s breathing had grown smooth and slow, but Tony hadn’t moved. He sat exactly where he was, still covering the kid’s forehead with his hand. It did feel like he was protecting him, in a way, shielding him from nightmares or illusions or Beck’s lies. 

Tony found he couldn’t bring himself to move.

Peter frowned slightly in his sleep, and Tony felt the little muscles under his eyebrows tense and draw together. He smoothed his thumb over them, and Peter made a soft sound, barely above a breath.

“Shh, kid. You’re safe.”

Peter quieted, but Tony stayed. Just in case his kid needed, him, he thought. There was part of him, though, that just wanted to be sure this was real, too. Peter was really safe, and he was home.

Just like Tony often reassured Peter, he now told himself, this was real.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, or come visit me on tumblr @an-odd-idea
> 
> Please do not copy, print, or reproduce outside this site, I don’t want to get sued.


End file.
